Abdominal laparoscopic surgery gained popularity in the late 1980's, when benefits of laparoscopic removal of the gallbladder over traditional (open) operation became evident. Reduced postoperative recovery time, markedly decreased post-operative pain and wound infection, and improved cosmetic outcome are well established benefits of laparoscopic surgery, derived mainly from the ability of laparoscopic surgeons to perform an operation utilizing smaller incisions of the body cavity wall.
Laparoscopic procedures generally involve insufflation of the abdominal cavity with CO2 gas to a pressure of around 15 min Hg. The abdominal wall is pierced and a 5-10 mm in diameter straight tubular cannula or trocar sleeve is then inserted into the abdominal cavity. A laparoscopic telescope connected to an operating room monitor is used to visualize the operative field, and is placed through the trocar sleeve. Laparoscopic instruments (graspers, dissectors, scissors, retractors, etc.) are placed through two or more additional trocar sleeves for the manipulations by the surgeon and surgical assistant(s).
Various types of access ports have been developed over the years for providing access passages into the body cavity through which surgical instruments may be inserted. For example, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/242,765, filed Sep. 30, 2008, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2010/0081880 A1, entitled “Surgical Access Device”, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,485,970, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/399,625, filed Mar. 6, 2009, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2010/0228091, entitled “Methods and Devices For Providing Access Into a Body Cavity”, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/712,269, filed Feb. 25, 2010, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2010/0249526 A1, entitled “Access Device With Insert” all disclose a variety of different access ports, devices and methods and are each herein incorporated by reference in their respective entireties.
Circular staplers are useful for performing a variety of different surgical procedures using both open and laparoscopic methods. When employing such instruments, the surgeon often must detach the anvil portion from the stapling device in order to properly orient the anvil relative to the tissues to be cut and stapled. When a surgeon is performing the operation laparoscopically, access ports of the types described above may be used. However, the introduction and manipulation of the circular stapler anvil can prove to be challenging from time to time depending upon the procedures to be completed.
In general, a conventional circular stapler typically consists of an elongated shaft that has a proximal actuating mechanism and a distal stapling mechanism mounted to the elongated shaft. Various circular stapling devices are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,104,025; 5,205,459; 5,285,945; and 5,309,927 which are each herein incorporated by reference in their respective entireties. The distal stapling mechanism commonly consists of a fixed stapling cartridge that contains a plurality of staples configured in a concentric circular array. A round cutting knife is concentrically mounted in the cartridge interior to the staples for axial travel therein. Extending axially from the center of the cartridge is a movable trocar shaft that is adapted to have a staple anvil removably coupled thereto. The anvil is configured to form the ends of the staples as they are driven into it. The distance between a distal face of the staple cartridge and the staple anvil is commonly controlled by an adjustment mechanism that is mounted to the proximal end of the stapler shaft for controlling the axial movement of the trocar. Tissue that is clamped between the staple cartridge and the staple anvil is simultaneously stapled and cut when the actuating mechanism is activated by the surgeon.
Such circular stapling devices are commonly employed to removed diseased portions of the colon. Introduction and management of the circular stapler anvil into a conventional laparoscopic approach for colorectal surgery has been an ongoing limiter to employing laparoscopic procedures and techniques to complete such procedure. Further challenges relate to the extraction of the diseased portion of the colon from the patient. That is, current access ports and devices are not particularly well-suited for introducing a circular stapler anvil into the patient and/or to remove the diseased specimen from the patient after it has been severed from the healthy portion of the colon.
Thus, the need exists for an access port configured to facilitate the introduction of a circular stapler anvil into the patient and/or the removal of a specimen from the patient.
The foregoing discussion is intended only to illustrate some of the shortcomings present in the field of the invention at the time, and should not be taken as a disavowal of claim scope.